


morning came and brought no day

by Monna99



Series: Shinobi in Love [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-04 03:26:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12160554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monna99/pseuds/Monna99
Summary: Kakashi's latest mission draws to a close.





	morning came and brought no day

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from the poem, "Darkness" by Lord Byron.

“He has his own place, Iruka-sensei. He doesn’t need to be here. He’s just a cheapskate and wants to mooch off you.”

“Naruto.” Iruka was rapidly going from exasperated to angry. “That is no way to speak to your teacher. Apologize.”

Kakashi waved that away. “No need, sensei.” He stood and stretched nonchalantly. “I’ll go visit Gai and let you two talk.” He faced Iruka, cupping the man’s cheek. He saw Naruto twitch and winked at the brunette.

Iruka shook his head minutely and rolled his eyes. “All right, all right,” he mock grumbled. “Get going.”

“Bossing me around already, love?” he asked just to watch Iruka blush fetchingly.

Iruka glared at him instead and the jounin chuckled. He waved goodbye.

“Love?” Kakashi had never before heard Naruto say anything with so much venom. “An elite, ex-ANBU and genius jounin infamous to the entire shinobi world is in love with an insignificant chuunin?”

Kakashi carefully removed his hand from the doorknob. He noted absently he would need to replace it later, it wouldn’t work properly after being crushed that way, and turned to face the blond. 

“Naruto,” Iruka cried, sounding shocked and hurt. “I know I’m not in league with Kakashi as a shinobi,” he looked down unhappily, “but I’ve always been proud of being a teacher.”

Naruto and Kakashi froze. Iruka looked pale and he’d started to shake almost imperceptibly. 

Kakashi had never wanted to seriously harm a student until now. He clenched his fists and focused on controlling his chakra.

Naruto was already across the room and had his arms wrapped tightly around Iruka. “No! No. Iruka-sensei, please. I didn’t mean that how it sounded. Please, I’m sorry.”

Iruka wasn’t crying but it would have been easier to watch instead of seeing the tremulous smile he gave Naruto. “It’s okay.”

It was most definitely not okay but Kakashi refrained from pummeling the kid.

He knew that however stupid and careless Naruto’s words, he hadn’t meant them as a blow to Iruka. No, that loathing had been all for Kakashi. 

“Iruka.”

The chuunin glanced at him and his eyes widened at whatever he saw in Kakashi’s expression.

“You are an invaluable resource to our village. As a chuunin, and an Academy teacher you are brilliant and irreplaceable. No one understands that more than Naruto. You may be the only reason he’s here today.”

Naruto nodded frantically. “You are!” The kid glanced back at Kakashi now only looking like a lost little boy. “I’m so sorry, sensei. I didn’t mean any of that how it sounded.”

Iruka swallowed and nodded. “What did you mean?”

“I’m just worried about you.” Naruto’s gaze flicked to Kakashi again before turning to Iruka. “Sensei, I need to talk to Kakashi-sensei first, okay?”

“Naruto,” Iruka began warningly. 

“It’s fine, Iruka.” Kakashi interrupted. “You are precious to Naruto. I respect that.”

Iruka glanced from one to the other, lips pressed tightly. “I don’t know what’s going on here but you love each other. I know that. And you both know it. I expect an explanation when you get back.”

“Yeah.” Kakashi’s eyes narrowed at the kid. “Let’s talk outside, Naruto.”

The blond nodded. He gave Iruka one last hug then launched himself out the window.

“Use the stairs, Naruto!” Iruka yelled after him then sighed. “Kakashi,” Iruka said firmly, turning to the jounin.

“I won’t hurt him.”

Iruka looked surprised. “I know that. You would never hurt him.”

It took all he had for Kakashi not to flinch. Iruka was a great man and a great shinobi but he had been at the Academy far too long. 

Sometimes it was Kakashi’s job to hurt his students. 

Iruka stepped close. “Naruto loves and admires you. Remember that.”

Kakashi pulled down his mask and kissed Iruka gently, not refuting his words. 

 

Kakashi finally sighed after walking several blocks and moved to a nearby bench to take a seat. “Are you going to talk or just keep following me?” he asked, unconcerned.

Naruto was sitting next to him a moment later. To Kakashi’s surprise, he no longer looked angry. This was much worse. The kid looked solemn. 

“You can object to my relationship with Iruka, kid, but it’s only going to hurt him. I know that’s not what you want.”

“I don’t want Iruka-sensei to be hurt.”

The jounin nodded. “I will do whatever I can to keep that from happening. You have my word.”

The blond didn’t move.

“Great! Good talk.” Kakashi shifted, making to stand.

“I remember what you said to Mori-san,” Naruto said quietly.

Mori-? Ah. Kakashi scratched the back of his head. He wasn’t much of a drinker but he wouldn’t have minded something strong just then. 

“You said love was a weakness. You said it was naive, if not downright stupid to become emotionally compromised.” Naruto didn’t raise his voice. Kakashi almost wished he would. “You told him an elite jounin like you would only form a relationship for two reasons. You said you’d do it to preserve a bloodline.”

Kakashi said nothing. 

“Or,” Naruto took a deep breath, “as a way to gain control of someone in a strategic position in the village.”

The jounin heard the exact words he’d uttered repeated back to him and was distantly impressed Naruto could recite them verbatim. 

_“Really? You found the one?” He’d asked mockingly. The chuunin hadn’t seemed to realize it wasn’t a serious question and nodded._

_“I know most shinobi marriages are for the sake of convenience or to further certain bloodlines but I just love her.” He’d glanced embarrassed at Kakashi. “Ummm. Well, I mean. The Sandaime told us in his speech when he became Kage that love is what is at the heart of every village. I guess I just want to live my life believing that.”_

_Kakashi had grinned. It hadn’t been pleasant. “I’ve known a few shinobi who believed that.”_

_The chuunin perked up and smiled honestly. “Yeah, that’s the kind of world my fiance and I want to bring our child into. We’ll teach our baby love because that’s what keeps our village safe.”_

_“Mmm. And here I thought what keeps the village safe are the shinobi who allow themselves to be turned into weapons.”_

_The chuunin had stopped smiling. He’d shifted away. “I just mean that we get the strength to go on missions and return safely because the person we love is waiting.”_

_Kakashi had chuckled. “Not too long ago I tortured a man who’d murdered his wife when she discovered he was a traitor to Konoha. She married him for love.”_

_Mori had looked down, one fist clenched._

_“It was obvious, really,” Kakashi had continued. “He was a chuunin about to test for jounin. Seems he was good enough to make it too. While she, at eighteen, still hadn’t been able to pass the chuunin test. She was a genin.”_

_Kakashi had shrugged. “She wasn’t the brightest. But she wasn’t stupid. Even so, she chose to believe that an ambitious man about to make jounin was interested in her. Never seemed to occur to her that he might be more interested in her close familial ties to the head of the ANBU. Your fiance was recently made jounin if I’m not mistaken.”_

_Mori had paled. “Why are you telling me this?” he’d whispered._

_Kakashi pulled out a note. The seal had been broken and Mori recognized the writing as Aiko’s, his fiance._

_“This was taken from the bodies of two dead missing-nin.” The jounin proffered the letter._

_Mori began to tremble. He wouldn’t take the missive._

_Kakashi was merciless. “An elite jounin would never marry a simple chuunin for love. An ANBU or a jounin will marry for two reasons. For a bloodline. Or,” the jounin stepped forward and opened the message, forcing the chuunin’s head up, “as a convenient way to gain control of someone in a strategic position in the village. It is done to protect the village, in order to keep those liabilities negligible. But it can also be done by a traitor in order to sell secrets.”_

_Mori read the letter and began to sob._

_“Congratulations, chuunin-san,” Kakashi continued callously. “You were close enough to the Hokage to be deemed important. Your fiance will face swift execution for treason and you will face an intelligence panel.”_

Kakashi tilted his head back, remembering. All of Team 7 had witnessed that little affair. It was par for the course that genin teams were taught about all forms of deception. Kakashi’d had the brilliant idea that seeing it in action would be a far more effective lesson. It had been effective all right. Sakura had been so inconsolable the jounin had given them the next two days off training. 

Naruto looked pale and unhappy. “So are you with him just to control him? Or to control me through him? I don’t want that for Iruka-sensei.”

Kakashi closed his eyes. He understood now why Naruto had that outburst. He’d thought it was simply that the kid didn’t want his precious Iruka to be contaminated by a blood-soaked nin.

“You’re important to me too, Kakashi-sensei.”

Kakashi twitched and looked at Naruto.

“You are,” the blond asserted as though the jounin had protested. “You and the old man Sandaime and Jaraiya-sama and Sakura-chan and…” He took a breath. “And Sasuke,” he continued gamely. “You’re all so important to me.”

The jounin listened without interrupting.

“But Iruka-sensei…” Naruto’s hands clenched into fists. “Iruka-sensei is different. He yells at me and stuff when I do crazy things and when I get hurt. He cares about everyone. All his students and the people in the village but...but I sorta think that maybe-”

Kakashi leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees to keep the kid out of his sight. Even so, he knew the exact moment Naruto started to cry.

“I think maybe the way he loves me is a little bit different. Like maybe I’m special to him, you know? And he’s special to me.”

He opened his eye behind the skewed hitae-ate and the Sharingan began to whirl.

“I want someone who loves him for him. Because he’s special.” Naruto wiped an impatient hand over his eyes. “I don’t want you to be with Iruka-sensei so you can control him or because he’s close to the Hokage and he’s a risk. I really want Iruka-sensei to be with someone who loves him.”

Kakashi stood, ignoring the way Naruto barely checked a flinch. “What if I told you that what I feel for your sensei is real?”

“I would believe you,” the blond claimed stoutly. “If you gave me your word I would believe you, sensei.”

Kakashi glanced at him, knowing more was coming. 

“But if it’s not real,” Naruto’s hands clenched, “you have to stay away from him, okay?” He raised his eyes to the jounin and the ex-ANBU could see remnants of the child Naruto had been - so desperate for love and acceptance. Those blue eyes were wide and pleading, hoping for what he probably already knew Kakashi couldn’t give him. “Do you love him?” the blond finally asked, still so trusting. Still the same child who thought Sasuke would return to them, the same naive little boy who hadn’t yet realized that it was the copy-nin’s job to turn children into killers. 

It looked like he wasn’t going to be able to keep his word to Iruka. 

Kakashi looked away and shrugged, movement purposefully indifferent. “Sometimes I don’t know what that word means.” He scratched the back of his head, thoughtful. “He’s not bad company and he's a good lay. Would I die protecting him?” Kakashi shrugged again. “I’m a jounin. My job is to protect Konoha and its people.”

The copy-nin made sure to look at Naruto then, ANBU did not look away from whatever pain and suffering they inflicted. It was necessary. So he kept his eyes on the blond and saw the light in those blue eyes dim just a little. He found himself almost regretting that the farse was ending, but maybe it was for the best. He'd been getting too ... involved.

“You were right, Naruto,” he said clearly and loudly enough for the sound to carry in the still night. 

Naruto’s head jerked up.

“As an ANBU one of our jobs is to continually monitor shinobi who are in a position to create great chaos if they chose to. If that balance tips one way or another we have a choice to make: we take them out or we do everything we can to nullify the threat by keeping a much closer eye on them.”

Kakashi didn’t turn when the man stepped out of the shadows. 

Naruto hadn’t seen him yet, he looked sick, unable to take his eyes off Kakashi.

“Your beloved sensei holds a position of great trust in the shinobi community. He has regular access to the Sandaime, to the Academy, to the very future of Konoha, and now, he has become the most important person of the boy who houses the Nine-Tails.”

Naruto sucked in a sharp breath.

“You can see why the ANBU thought it was time that the threat be nullified,” he finished, turning to the chuunin. “It was my recommendation that a less drastic approach be employed.”

Even standing still half in shadow Kakashi could make out the other man’s pallor. 

“Iruka-sensei!” Naruto cried, springing up and rushing over to his old Academy teacher. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Iruka wasn’t speaking, he didn’t take his eyes off Kakashi and in them, the copy-nin could see some of that same hope that had been in Naruto’s. A silly little hope that the jounin would laugh and say it was all a joke in poor taste. It didn’t surprise him in Naruto, but how an intelligent, grown man - a shinobi no less - could still harbor those illusions amazed even him. 

“Well, Iruka, you understand how these things work,” Kakashi said mildly. “The ANBU knew I was already familiar with you so they asked me to get closer. To make sure you would stay loyal to Konoha.”

“Shut up!” Naruto shouted. “Shut up already!”

Iruka still said nothing.

“Don’t worry, Naruto, the mission is over. Not much point in continuing now that Umino-san knows the truth.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Everything I’ve reported to the ANBU has been favorable. Your loyalty - for now - is no longer being called into question.”

“Sensei, don’t listen. Don’t,” Naruto pleaded. As though the damage hadn’t already been done.

Kakashi shifted. His eye was throbbing now, and he was mildly surprised that he couldn’t seem to deactivate it. “You’re free to pursue other romantic interests,” he said hoping to apply that as a salve, this was someone he had pretended to care for, for months now after all. “I would stay away from Genma, though,” he added, remembering how the man had never seemed to be far from Iruka and always found a reason to touch him. “He loves playing around. Plus, he doesn’t have much of an opinion of chuunin. I would recommend Gai personally. I know he’s an oddball but he’s loyal. When Gai tells you he loves you, you know he’ll mean it.”

Iruka was standing perfectly still and straight but something about him seemed so hurt. Seemed mortally wounded.

The Sharingan began to spin faster. It was starting to bleed. Good thing the hitae-ate would soak that up.

“Why?” came the hushed whisper. The only word he’d said so far.

“Why?” Kakashi stared, confused. “I just explained why. I realize you haven’t gone on an active mission in years but surely you remember how it works.”

“Let’s go, sensei, please.” Naruto reached out to Iruka but didn’t touch him. Something about how he stood made Kakashi think that he would shatter into a million brittle pieces.  


Kakashi touched a hand to his cheek automatically at the drop of water that fell there. Was he-? Another drop of water landed on his hand and he relaxed. It was beginning to rain. Stupid to think that for a moment he had imagined … But that was ridiculous. He hadn’t cried since he was child and there was no reason to cry over a mission. Only children did that.

Kakashi looked again at the Academy teacher. 

Iruka was trembling. The copy-nin noted it as he noted the rain that fell, not terribly important unless it affected his mission.

“I do apologize,” he tried for the last time, turning to leave. “This isn’t how I would have chosen for things to end. If it means anything, this has been the most pleasant mission I have ever had.” There was no response and after a minute he assumed there wasn’t going to be one. He began to walk away, but he couldn’t keep walking, not without one last look.

Iruka still stood there, half in shadow, frozen, rain trickling down his face.

> **Darkness**  
>  BY LORD BYRON (GEORGE GORDON)  
>  I had a dream, which was not all a dream.  
>  The bright sun was extinguish'd, and the stars  
>  Did wander darkling in the eternal space,  
>  Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth  
>  Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air;  
>  Morn came and went—and came, and brought no day 

**Author's Note:**

> what the hell? why do I do this to myself!? I'm a masochist, there's no other explanation T.T  
> Hope you peeps .... liked it? lol


End file.
